’Shecouldnotseehisface，’saidEmily，’andshewasinsuchahurrytoescapethatshescarcelynoticedhim。’
SirArthurappearedsatisfied，andtheconversationended。
Thisslightconversation，repeatedaccuratelytomebyEmily，hadtheeffectofconfirming，ifindeedanythingwasrequiredtodoso，allthatIhadbeforebelievedastoEdward’sactualpresence；andInaturallybecame，ifpossible，moreanxiousthanevertodespatchthelettertoMr。
Jefferies。Anopportunityatlengthoccurred。
AsEmilyandIwerewalkingonedaynearthegateofthedemesne，aladfromthevillagehappenedtobepassingdowntheavenuefromthehouse；thespotwassecluded，andasthispersonwasnotconnectedbyservicewiththosewhoseobservationIdreaded，Icommittedthelettertohiskeeping，withstrictinjunctionsthatheshouldputitwithoutdelayintothereceiverofthetownpost-office；atthesametimeIaddedasuitablegratuity，andthemanhavingmademanyprotestationsofpunctuality，wassoonoutofsight。
HewashardlygonewhenIbegantodoubtmydiscretioninhavingtrustedthisperson；butIhadnobetterorsafermeansofdespatchingtheletter，andIwasnotwarrantedinsuspectinghimofsuchwantondishonestyasaninclinationtotamperwithit；butIcouldnotbequitesatisfiedofitssafetyuntilIhadreceivedananswer，whichcouldnotarriveforafewdays。BeforeIdid，however，aneventoccurredwhichalittlesurprisedme。
Iwassittinginmybedroomearlyintheday，readingbymyself，whenIheardaknockatthedoor。
’Comein，’saidI；andmyuncleenteredtheroom。
’Willyouexcuseme？’saidhe。’I
soughtyouintheparlour，andthenceI
havecomehere。Idesiredtosayawordwithyou。Itrustthatyouhavehithertofoundmyconducttoyousuchasthatofaguardiantowardshiswardshouldbe。’
Idarednotwithholdmyconsent。
’And，’hecontinued，’Itrustthatyouhavenotfoundmeharshorunjust，andthatyouhaveperceived，mydearniece，thatIhavesoughttomakethispoorplaceasagreeabletoyouasmaybe。’
Iassentedagain；andheputhishandinhispocket，whencehedrewafoldedpaper，anddashingituponthetablewithstartlingemphasis，hesaid：
’Didyouwritethatletter？’
Thesuddenandtearfulalterationofhisvoice，manner，andface，but，morethanall，theunexpectedproductionofmylettertoMr。Jefferies，whichIatoncerecognised，soconfoundedandterrifiedme，thatIfeltalmostchoking。
Icouldnotutteraword。
’Didyouwritethatletter？’herepeatedwithslowandintenseemphasis。’Youdid，liarandhypocrite!Youdaredtowritethisfoulandinfamouslibel；butitshallbeyourlast。Menwilluniversallybelieveyoumad，ifIchoosetocallforaninquiry。Icanmakeyouappearso。Thesuspicionsexpressedinthisletterarethehallucinationsandalarmsofmopinglunacy。
Ihavedefeatedyourfirstattempt，madam；
andbytheholyGod，ifeveryoumakeanother，chains，straw，darkness，andthekeeper’swhipshallbeyourlastingportion!’
Withtheseastoundingwordshelefttheroom，leavingmealmostfainting。
Iwasnowalmostreducedtodespair；
mylastcasthadfailed；Ihadnocourseleftbutthatofelopingsecretlyfromthecastle，andplacingmyselfundertheprotectionofthenearestmagistrate。Ifeltifthiswerenotdone，andspeedily，thatI
shouldbeMURDERED。
Noone，frommeredescription，canhaveanideaoftheunmitigatedhorrorofmysituation——ahelpless，weak，inexperiencedgirl，placedunderthepowerandwhollyatthemercyofevilmen，andfeelingthatshehaditnotinherpowertoescapeforamomentfromthemalignantinfluencesunderwhichshewasprobablyfatedtofall；
andwithaconsciousnessthatifviolence，ifmurderweredesigned，herdyingshriekwouldbelostinvoidspace；nohumanbeingwouldbeneartoaidher，nohumaninterpositioncoulddeliverher。
IhadseenEdwardbutonceduringhisvisit，andasIdidnotmeetwithhimagain，Ibegantothinkthathemusthavetakenhisdeparture——aconvictionwhichwastoacertaindegreesatisfactory，asI
regardedhisabsenceasindicatingtheremovalofimmediatedanger。
Emilyalsoarrivedcircuitouslyatthesameconclusion，andnotwithoutgoodgrounds，forshemanagedindirectlytolearnthatEdward’sblackhorsehadactuallybeenforadayandpartofanightinthecastlestables，justatthetimeofherbrother’ssupposedvisit。Thehorsehadgone，and，assheargued，theridermusthavedepartedwithit。
Thispointbeingsofarsettled，Ifeltalittlelessuncomfortable：whenbeingonedayaloneinmybedroom，Ihappenedtolookoutfromthewindow，and，tomyun-
utterablehorror，Ibeheld，peeringthroughanoppositecasement，mycousinEdward’sface。HadIseentheevilonehimselfinbodilyshape，Icouldnothaveexperiencedamoresickeningrevulsion。
Iwastoomuchappalledtomoveatoncefromthewindow，butIdidsosoonenoughtoavoidhiseye。Hewaslookingfixedlyintothenarrowquadrangleuponwhichthewindowopened。Ishrankbackunperceived，topasstherestofthedayinterroranddespair。Iwenttomyroomearlythatnight，butIwastoomiserabletosleep。
Atabouttwelveo’clock，feelingverynervous，IdeterminedtocallmycousinEmily，whoslept，youwillremember，inthenextroom，whichcommunicatedwithminebyaseconddoor。BythisprivateentranceIfoundmywayintoherchamber，andwithoutdifficultypersuadedhertoreturntomyroomandsleepwithme。
Weaccordinglylaydowntogether，sheundressed，andIwithmyclotheson，forI
waseverymomentwalkingupanddowntheroom，andfelttoonervousandmiserabletothinkofrestorcomfort。
Emilywassoonfastasleep，andIlayawake，ferventlylongingforthefirstpalegleamofmorning，reckoningeverystrokeoftheoldclockwithanimpatiencewhichmadeeveryhourappearlikesix。
Itmusthavebeenaboutoneo’clockwhenIthoughtIheardaslightnoiseatthepartition-doorbetweenEmily’sroomandmine，asifcausedbysomebody’sturningthekeyinthelock。Iheldmybreath，andthesamesoundwasrepeatedattheseconddoorofmyroom——thatwhichopeneduponthelobby——thesoundwasheredistinctlycausedbytherevolutionoftheboltinthelock，anditwasfollowedbyaslightpressureuponthedooritself，asiftoascertainthesecurityofthelock。
Theperson，whoeveritmightbe，wasprobablysatisfied，forIheardtheoldboardsofthelobbycreakandstrain，asifundertheweightofsomebodymovingcautiouslyoverthem。Mysenseofhearingbecameunnaturally，almostpainfullyacute。Isupposetheimaginationaddeddistinctnesstosoundsvagueinthemselves。
IthoughtthatIcouldactuallyhearthebreathingofthepersonwhowasslowlyreturningdownthelobby。Attheheadofthestaircasethereappearedtooccurapause；andIcoulddistinctlyheartwoorthreesentenceshastilywhispered；thestepsthendescendedthestairswithapparentlylesscaution。Inowventuredtowalkquicklyandlightlytothelobby-door，andattemptedtoopenit；itwasindeedfastlockedupontheoutside，aswasalsotheother。
Inowfeltthatthedreadfulhourwascome；butonedesperateexpedientremained——itwastoawakenEmily，andbyourunitedstrengthtoattempttoforcethepartition-door，whichwasslighterthantheother，andthroughthistopasstothelowerpartofthehouse，whenceitmightbepossibletoescapetothegrounds，andforthtothevillage。
IreturnedtothebedsideandshookEmily，butinvain。NothingthatIcoulddoavailedtoproducefromhermorethanafewincoherentwords——itwasadeath-
likesleep。Shehadcertainlydrankofsomenarcotic，ashadIprobablyalso，spiteofallthecautionwithwhichIhadexaminedeverythingpresentedtoustoeatordrink。
Inowattempted，withaslittlenoiseaspossible，toforcefirstonedoor，thentheother——butallinvain。Ibelievenostrengthcouldhaveeffectedmyobject，forbothdoorsopenedinwards。IthereforecollectedwhatevermovablesIcouldcarrythither，andpiledthemagainstthedoors，soastoassistmeinwhateverattemptsI
shouldmaketoresisttheentranceofthosewithout。Ithenreturnedtothebedandendeavouredagain，butfruitlessly，toawakenmycousin。Itwasnotsleep，itwastorpor，lethargy，death。Ikneltdownandprayedwithanagonyofearnestness；
andthenseatingmyselfuponthebed，I
awaitedmyfatewithakindofterribletranquillity。
IheardafaintclankingsoundfromthenarrowcourtwhichIhavealreadymentioned，asifcausedbythescrapingofsomeironinstrumentagainststonesorrubbish。IatfirstdeterminednottodisturbthecalmnesswhichInowfelt，byuselesslywatchingtheproceedingsofthosewhosoughtmylife；butasthesoundscontinued，thehorriblecuriositywhichI
feltovercameeveryotheremotion，andI
determined，atallhazards，togratifyit。
Ithereforecrawleduponmykneestothewindow，soastoletthesmallestportionofmyheadappearabovethesill。
Themoonwasshiningwithanuncertainradianceupontheantiquegreybuildings，andobliquelyuponthenarrowcourtbeneath，onesideofwhichwasthereforeclearlyilluminated，whiletheotherwaslostinobscurity，thesharpoutlinesoftheoldgables，withtheirnoddingclustersofivy，beingatfirstalonevisible。
Whoeverorwhateveroccasionedthenoisewhichhadexcitedmycuriosity，wasconcealedundertheshadowofthedarksideofthequadrangle。Iplacedmyhandovermyeyestoshadethemfromthemoonlight，whichwassobrightastobealmostdazzling，and，peeringintothedarkness，Ifirstdimly，butafterwardsgradually，almostwithfulldistinctness，beheldtheformofamanengagedindiggingwhatappearedtobearudeholecloseunderthewall。Someimplements，probablyashovelandpickaxe，laybesidehim，andtotheseheeverynowandthenappliedhimselfasthenatureofthegroundrequired。Hepursuedhistaskrapidly，andwithaslittlenoiseaspossible。
’So，’thoughtI，as，shovelfulaftershovel-
ful，thedislodgedrubbishmountedintoaheap，’theyarediggingthegraveinwhich，beforetwohourspass，Imustlie，acold，mangledcorpse。IamTHEIRS——Icannotescape。’
Ifeltasifmyreasonwasleavingme。
Istartedtomyfeet，andinmeredespairI
appliedmyselfagaintoeachofthetwodoorsalternately。Istrainedeverynerveandsinew，butImightaswellhaveattempted，withmysinglestrength，toforcethebuildingitselffromitsfoundation。I
threwmyselfmadlyupontheground，andclaspedmyhandsovermyeyesasiftoshutoutthehorribleimageswhichcrowdeduponme。
Theparoxysmpassedaway。Iprayedoncemore，withthebitter，agonisedfervourofonewhofeelsthatthehourofdeathispresentandinevitable。WhenIarose，I
wentoncemoretothewindowandlookedout，justintimetoseeashadowyfigureglidestealthilyalongthewall。Thetaskwasfinished。Thecatastropheofthetragedymustsoonbeaccomplished。
Ideterminednowtodefendmylifetothelast；andthatImightbeabletodosowithsomeeffect，Isearchedtheroomforsomethingwhichmightserveasaweapon；buteitherthroughaccident，orfromananticipationofsuchapossibility，everythingwhichmighthavebeenmadeavailableforsuchapurposehadbeencarefullyremoved。Imustthendietamelyandwithoutanefforttodefendmyself。
Athoughtsuddenlystruckme——mightitnotbepossibletoescapethroughthedoor，whichtheassassinmustopeninordertoentertheroom？Iresolvedtomaketheattempt。Ifeltassuredthatthedoorthroughwhichingresstotheroomwouldbeeffected，wasthatwhichopeneduponthelobby。Itwasthemoredirectway，besidesbeing，forobviousreasons，lessliabletointerruptionthantheother。
Iresolved，then，toplacemyselfbehindaprojectionofthewall，whoseshadowwouldservefullytoconcealme，andwhenthedoorshouldbeopened，andbeforetheyshouldhavediscoveredtheidentityoftheoccupantofthebed，tocreepnoiselesslyfromtheroom，andthentotrusttoProvidenceforescape。
Inordertofacilitatethisscheme，I
removedallthelumberwhichIhadheapedagainstthedoor；andIhadnearlycompletedmyarrangements，whenIperceivedtheroomsuddenlydarkenedbythecloseapproachofsomeshadowyobjecttothewindow。Onturningmyeyesinthatdirection，Iobservedatthetopofthecasement，asifsuspendedfromabove，firstthefeet，thenthelegs，thenthebody，andatlengththewholefigureofamanpresenthimself。ItwasEdwardT——n。